2020 Election Results

[lpetrich]

Trump plans to outshine Biden on Inauguration Day with opposing rally: report | Fox News

A new report from Axios claims that President Trump is considering a dramatic White House departure that includes a final Air Force One flight to Florida where he will host an opposing rally during Joe Biden's inauguration.

"The Trump talk could create a split-screen moment: the outgoing president addressing a roaring crowd in an airport hangar while the incoming leader is sworn in before a socially distanced audience outside the Capitol," Alayna Treene of Axios wrote.

What a narcissist. I think that reflecting pools could be dangerous for him.

Sidney Powell 'Kraken' lawsuit dismissed in Georgia after defeat in Michigan | Fox News - "Lawsuits alleged widespread voter fraud and errors having to do with absentee ballots and vote counting"

That kraken turned out to be a water flea. Yes, I know that a water flea is a crustacean and that a kraken is usually depicted as a giant cephalopod, but I did that comparison for the size comparison.


Trump's Final Days of Rage and Denial

Over the past week, President Donald Trump posted or reposted about 145 messages on Twitter lashing out at the results of an election he lost. He mentioned the coronavirus pandemic now reaching its darkest hours four times — and even then just to assert that he was right about the outbreak and the experts were wrong.

Moody and by accounts of his advisers sometimes depressed, the president barely shows up to work, ignoring the health and economic crises afflicting the nation and largely clearing his public schedule of meetings unrelated to his desperate bid to rewrite the election results. He has fixated on rewarding friends, purging the disloyal and punishing a growing list of perceived enemies that now includes Republican governors, his own attorney general and even Fox News.

The final days of the Trump presidency have taken on the stormy elements of a drama more common to history or literature than a modern White House. His rage and detached-from-reality refusal to concede defeat evoke images of a besieged overlord in some distant land defiantly clinging to power rather than going into exile, or an erratic English monarch imposing his version of reality on his cowed court.

Or the likes of Baghdad Bob, who bragged about his nations' armed forces' triumphs over the invading Americans.

 

[lpetrich]

Which States Have Certified Presidential Vote Totals - The New York Times

Only 2 uncertified states left: HI, MO

Density as Destiny? | The Cook Political Report
noting
What Republicans Are Really Up Against: Population Density - Bloomberg back in 2012
Author Amy Walter summarizes it:

We don't have all the data yet, but it seems as if, once again, density was the dividing line between blue and red suburbs.

In the wake of the 2012 election, Democrats found success in the suburbs nestled next to major metro areas. But, less densely populated suburban areas remained red. David Troy, a software engineer, plotted the results and found that "At about 800 people per square mile, people switch from voting primarily Republican to voting primarily Democratic. Put another way, below 800 people per square mile, there is a 66% chance that you voted Republican. Above 800 people per square mile, there is a 66% chance that you voted Democrat."

At about 30,000 people/mi^2, it becomes 85% Democrat.

In another graph, Mitt Romney got about 65% in low-density areas in red states and 55% in such areas in blue states.

At about 2,000 people/mi^2, Obama got 60% in both blue and red states.

 

[lpetrich]

The Suburbanization of the Democratic Party, 1992–2018
"This paper focuses on one critical development of the contemporary period: for the first time in American history, the Democratic Party now draws most of its popular support from the suburbs."

From 1988 - 2004, the suburban fraction rose from 40% to 53%, being roughly constant before and after those times, the urban fraction varied a little around 35% over 1980 - 2016, and the rural fraction steadily declined from 25% to 10%.

In the House, the suburban fraction grew from 40% to 60%, the urban fraction varied between 35% and 40%, and the rural fraction declined from 25% to 5%.

In the Senate, the suburban fraction grew from 40% in 1990 to 80%, the urban fraction dropped from 20% to 10%, and the rural fraction from 35% to 10%. All were roughly constant before 1990.


Then Congresspeople's ideologies by district type.

Urban and majority-minority suburban ones are very close: -0.425 to -0.450, white-majority suburban ones decreased from -0.30 to -0.35 over 1992-2016, and rural ones decreased from -0.250 to -0.325.

Negative = liberal, positive = conservative in this measure, DW-NOMINATE at voteview.com


"The reality of Democratic suburbanization has not entirely fulfilled 1980s-vintage expectations. In fact, the majority-suburban Democratic Party is in some ways more liberal, and in every respect much more racially diverse, than it was 30 years ago."

 

[lpetrich]

Then Orange County, a stereotypically right-wing place.

No single place in the United States is more identified with the history of the modern conservative movement than the suburbs of Orange County, California. Orange County was the political home of Richard Nixon, a major supplier of popular support for organizations like the John Birch Society and the candidacies of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan, and a center of anti-government activism such as the Proposition 13 tax revolt of 1978. But the partisan climate in Orange County began to change in the 1990s, first signaled by the 1996 defeat of arch-conservative nine-term congressman Bob Dornan by Latina challenger Loretta Sanchez. Orange County was carried by the Democratic presidential candidate in 2016 for the first time since the election of 1936; Democrats swept all seven U.S.House seats located wholly or partially in the county in the 2018 congressional midterms; and in August 2019 the Orange County registrar of voters announced that the number of registered Democratic voters had surpassed the number of registered Republicans—a development that received considerable media attention in the state.

Rep. Bob Dornan was known as "B-1 Bob" for his support for that bomber. He was Rep for 1977 - 1983 and 1985 - 1997.

Rep. Katie Porter is a strong progressive, and she also lives there. She won in 2018 by 4.2%, getting into office, and she won this year by 8.6%.

From B-1 Bob Dornan to Katie Porter is quite a political journey.

Other such counties have done similar shifts, like Westchester Cty NY (near NYC), Montgomery Cty PA (near Philadelphia), and Fairfax Cty VA (near DC).

"But in many other suburban areas, especially those that surround mid-size or smaller cities, Republican candidates can still count on substantial popular support:" Milwaukee WI, Cincinnati OH, Birmingham AL, Spokane WA, Bakersfield CA.

Around 1980, the Democrats got 48% of the urban vote and 42% of the suburban and rural vote. They tracked each other closely until big-city suburbs started to diverge from the others around 1992. Now it's urban 62%, top-20-MSA suburban 55%, other suburban 42%, and rural 33%.

House elections have a similar pattern, with top-20-MSA suburbs diverging from the others in 1992 and getting close to urban areas by 2016. In the meantime, other suburbs and rural areas stayed close.

MSA = Metropolitan Statistical Area

 

[southernhybrid]

This is getting crazier by the day.

https://www.ajc.com/politics/texas-sues-georgia-to-try-to-overturn-election-results/EVEDMTX2J5E2DJ3O6FOGMDS7PM/

The state of Texas sued Georgia and three other states Tuesday in an effort to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out election results that showed Democrat Joe Biden won the most votes.


The case is a longshot attempt to overturn Georgia’s elections after counts and recounts showed that Biden defeated Trump by about 12,000 votes. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Gov. Brian Kemp, both Republicans, certified Georgia’s election results Monday.

The lawsuit by Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accuses Georgia election officials of illegally changing rules for voter signature verification and early opening of absentee ballot envelopes.

What the fuck is wrong with these people? To my knowledge, the way that absentee ballots are managed hasn't changed. The signatures are checked against the voter's older signatures, then the ballot which is supposed to be secret is put to the side. Are these idiots worried that the two Dems will win the Senate runoff, so they are starting to make it look as if elections in Georgia aren't fair? It makes no sense that these states think they know a thing about the demographics in Georgia. The fact is that until the last few years, those who might normally vote for Democrats in Georgia weren't reliable voters. Many never bothered to vote at all. But with the help of organizations like Fair Fight, a much higher rate of new voters went to the polls. We are still a purple state but the state has been growing rapidly. When I worked in Atlanta, half of my coworkers were from so called Blue states. That was in the early 90s. The population has grown substantially since then and most of the newcomers are from states like NJ, California, Massachusetts etc. This past election was one of the best. The long lines were due to increased turnout. And, anyone who wanted to vote absentee was permitted without a reason. Why is it so difficult for some Republicans to admit defeat?

I hate to break it to them, but absentee ballots are going to be opened early again in the runoffs but from what I read this morning, they won't actually be counted until Election Day or just before Election Day. I don't remember the exact details. There is nothing wrong or illegal about that.

 

[Angry Floof]

This is getting crazier by the day.

https://www.ajc.com/politics/texas-sues-georgia-to-try-to-overturn-election-results/EVEDMTX2J5E2DJ3O6FOGMDS7PM/

The state of Texas sued Georgia and three other states Tuesday in an effort to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out election results that showed Democrat Joe Biden won the most votes.


The case is a longshot attempt to overturn Georgia’s elections after counts and recounts showed that Biden defeated Trump by about 12,000 votes. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Gov. Brian Kemp, both Republicans, certified Georgia’s election results Monday.

The lawsuit by Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accuses Georgia election officials of illegally changing rules for voter signature verification and early opening of absentee ballot envelopes.

What the fuck is wrong with these people? To my knowledge, the way that absentee ballots are managed hasn't changed. The signatures are checked against the voter's older signatures, then the ballot which is supposed to be secret is put to the side. Are these idiots worried that the two Dems will win the Senate runoff, so they are starting to make it look as if elections in Georgia aren't fair? It makes no sense that these states think they know a thing about the demographics in Georgia. The fact is that until the last few years, those who might normally vote for Democrats in Georgia weren't reliable voters. Many never bothered to vote at all. But with the help of organizations like Fair Fight, a much higher rate of new voters went to the polls. We are still a purple state but the state has been growing rapidly. When I worked in Atlanta, half of my coworkers were from so called Blue states. That was in the early 90s. The population has grown substantially since then and most of the newcomers are from states like NJ, California, Massachusetts etc. This past election was one of the best. The long lines were due to increased turnout. And, anyone who wanted to vote absentee was permitted without a reason. Why is it so difficult for some Republicans to admit defeat?

I hate to break it to them, but absentee ballots are going to be opened early again in the runoffs but from what I read this morning, they won't actually be counted until Election Day or just before Election Day. I don't remember the exact details. There is nothing wrong or illegal about that.

Plus at least one of the other suits in all this also claimed the rules were unfair but it was tossed out because they knew the rules going in. You can't decide after the fact that the rules were unfair when you knew all along what the rules were and said nothing until you didn't like the election results. I expect that would probably apply here, too.

 

[crazyfingers]

Beyond the stupidity and blatant lying to steal the election, what "Standing" does Texas even have to question the election process / outcome in other states? The Constitution says that each state sets it's own election laws. It doesn't say that other states have a say in that. I'd expect Zero standing.

 

[Angry Floof]

Beyond the stupidity and blatant lying to steal the election, what "Standing" does Texas even have to question the election process / outcome in other states? The Constitution says that each state sets it's own election laws. It doesn't say that other states have a say in that. I'd expect Zero standing.

Texas? You mean Howdy Arabia?

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Are you kidding me?! Texas has absolutely no standing to question how other states handle their elections! The article says it is a long shot. It should lead to attorneys losing their licenses based on how frivolous it is all the while demanding a Federal Election... well the result that the GOP didn't like... be thrown out!

Texas representatives can some make up some bullshit in the Electoral College, but I don't see how Texas has any standing to address how another state holds an election. Also, why is it that only Biden won states had issues with mail-in ballots and not say North Carolina or Florida?

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Also, why is it that only Biden won states had issues with mail-in ballots and not say North Carolina or Florida?

Right. I don't think they will make it past a Judge.

 

[bilby]

Also, why is it that only Biden won states had issues with mail-in ballots and not say North Carolina or Florida?

Right. I don't think they will make it past a Judge.

They don't need to make it to a judge, much less past one. The existence of a lawsuit is more than enough evidence to persuade the crazies that the election was stolen, and it's the crazies, not the judiciary, who are the intended audience.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Also, why is it that only Biden won states had issues with mail-in ballots and not say North Carolina or Florida?

Right. I don't think they will make it past a Judge.

They don't need to make it to a judge, much less past one. The existence of a lawsuit is more than enough evidence to persuade the crazies that the election was stolen, and it's the crazies, not the judiciary, who are the intended audience.

I get that. I'm not paying attention to the crazies.

 

[lpetrich]

Which States Have Certified Presidential Vote Totals - The New York Times
Now every state but Hawaii.

As I write this, it's 11:07 AM Hawaii Standard Time (1:07 PM PST), so it may be a while.

How Suburbs Decided the 2020 Election for Biden

Most of the red counties have densities of fewer than 500 people per square mile. Most of the purple counties are clustered at densities of between 400 and 1,500 people per square mile. And the blue counties are those above 1,500 people per square mile. While there are notable exceptions to this pattern, the basic trend suggests the dominant role suburban density plays in American political life.

Back to the Cook Political Report.

This Democratic headway into fast-growing exurbs represents a serious threat to the GOP grip on these sunbelt states. As Dante Chinni, a political analyst for the Wall Street Journal and NBC and expert on the geographic distribution of the vote, argued in his recent analysis of the 2020 election: "Republican candidates need big margins out of those exurb counties to help offset the Democrats big wins in the urban suburbs and big cities." And, as we've seen in states like Virginia, once these exurbs start to turn blue, they don't turn back. Northern Virginia's Loudoun County flipped red to blue in 2008, with Obama carrying this county by 8 points. In 2020, Biden carried the once rural county by 25 points.

 

[ZiprHead]

This is getting crazier by the day.

https://www.ajc.com/politics/texas-sues-georgia-to-try-to-overturn-election-results/EVEDMTX2J5E2DJ3O6FOGMDS7PM/

The state of Texas sued Georgia and three other states Tuesday in an effort to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out election results that showed Democrat Joe Biden won the most votes.


The case is a longshot attempt to overturn Georgia’s elections after counts and recounts showed that Biden defeated Trump by about 12,000 votes. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Gov. Brian Kemp, both Republicans, certified Georgia’s election results Monday.

The lawsuit by Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accuses Georgia election officials of illegally changing rules for voter signature verification and early opening of absentee ballot envelopes.

What the fuck is wrong with these people? To my knowledge, the way that absentee ballots are managed hasn't changed. The signatures are checked against the voter's older signatures, then the ballot which is supposed to be secret is put to the side. Are these idiots worried that the two Dems will win the Senate runoff, so they are starting to make it look as if elections in Georgia aren't fair? It makes no sense that these states think they know a thing about the demographics in Georgia. The fact is that until the last few years, those who might normally vote for Democrats in Georgia weren't reliable voters. Many never bothered to vote at all. But with the help of organizations like Fair Fight, a much higher rate of new voters went to the polls. We are still a purple state but the state has been growing rapidly. When I worked in Atlanta, half of my coworkers were from so called Blue states. That was in the early 90s. The population has grown substantially since then and most of the newcomers are from states like NJ, California, Massachusetts etc. This past election was one of the best. The long lines were due to increased turnout. And, anyone who wanted to vote absentee was permitted without a reason. Why is it so difficult for some Republicans to admit defeat?

I hate to break it to them, but absentee ballots are going to be opened early again in the runoffs but from what I read this morning, they won't actually be counted until Election Day or just before Election Day. I don't remember the exact details. There is nothing wrong or illegal about that.

Law Professor: Ken Paxton’s Texas Election Lawsuit Against 4 States ‘Very Unrealistic’

That law suite asks the Supreme Court to order state legislatures in Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania to displace “tainted” election results in those States and choose their own slate of electors.

“Ken Paxton is asking that Republican state legislatures in four states be allowed to displace the will of the voters in those States and choose their own slate of electors, presumably to hand the election to Donald Trump in January,” said Carpenter. “The Supreme Court is not going to allow that to happen.”

Earlier, Paxton said states made unconstitutional changes to their laws before the 2020 election and that skewed the election results for the 2020 General Election.

“The states violated statutes enacted by their duly elected legislatures, thereby violating the Constitution,” said Paxton. “By ignoring both state and federal law, these states have not only tainted the integrity of their own citizens’ vote, but of Texas and every other state that held lawful elections,” Paxton continued.

But Carpenter said he thinks these issues have already been addressed by the states and therefor the State of Texas would not have anything unique to bring to the table.

“The state Attorney General Ken Paxton is essentially trying to litigate — or relitigate — claims that are being heard in various other lawsuits and that have already been heard to some extent, and can be heard in the Supreme Court. So, the Supreme Court doesn’t need to hear this from the State of Texas,” said Carpenter. “The second thing I would say is that state election laws quite commonly grants full discretionary authority to state election commissions to make changes as needed.”

Not to mention that Ken Paxton is under investigation for abuse of office.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Yeah, so the GOP seems to be on the bus to "SpinelessVille".

Republicans on the Joint Congressional Committee on the Inaugural Ceremonies voted on Tuesday against a resolution stating that the committee was preparing for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.

Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.; and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., all voted against the resolution. The three Democrats on the committee, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., who introduced the measure; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., voted in favor. The measure, which would have recognized what Democrats and some Republicans say is obvious — that Biden won the election — failed to pass on a 3-3 tie vote.

Yeah, get ready for this.

Blunt explained his vote against the measure by saying, “It is not the job of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies to get ahead of the electoral process and decide who we are inaugurating.”

[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKGjOE_7bYI[/YOUTUBE]

 

[lpetrich]

Some Congressional Republicans are joining the big baby in the White House in being sore losers:

GOP leaders block measure affirming Biden as president-elect - POLITICO

All Republicans opposed the measure: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), who chairs the Senate’s committee overseeing the inauguration. The resolution failed on a 3-3 vote, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), the top Democrat on the panel, in favor.

Texas sues four battleground states in Supreme Court over 'unlawful election results' - PA, GA, WI, MI

Legal experts quickly dismissed the case as political theater without precedent in American history.

The filing argues that those states used the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to unlawfully change their election rules “through executive fiat or friendly lawsuits, thereby weakening ballot integrity.”

“Any electoral college votes cast by such presidential electors appointed” in those states “cannot be counted,” Texas asks the high court to rule.

 

[blastula]

Yeah, so the GOP seems to be on the bus to "SpinelessVille".

Republicans on the Joint Congressional Committee on the Inaugural Ceremonies voted on Tuesday against a resolution stating that the committee was preparing for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.

Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.; and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., all voted against the resolution. The three Democrats on the committee, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., who introduced the measure; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., voted in favor. The measure, which would have recognized what Democrats and some Republicans say is obvious — that Biden won the election — failed to pass on a 3-3 tie vote.

Yeah, get ready for this.

Blunt explained his vote against the measure by saying, “It is not the job of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies to get ahead of the electoral process and decide who we are inaugurating.”

Wow, when you think they can't get any more farcical, there they go.

 

[Elixir]

Supreme Court Rejects GOP Bid To Reverse Pennsylvania Election Results



SO sick of winning. Can we please move on to the "execute the prisoners" stage?

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

I remember when Fetterman was being interviewed after Brann tossed the lawsuit. Fetterman was asked what he thought about it being appealed to SCOTUS. He said that he hoped they would appeal it to SCOTUS because they'd get the same result. He was wrong because SCOTUS didn't even take any time to fuck around legal shmegal.

 

[Angry Floof]

So in the right wing authoritarian alternate universe, they are expecting the SC to overturn the election or whatever and if it doesn't, Trump will order martial law and "take back Amurica." It's insane what they'll believe. Insane and scary. They think "martial law" means "marshall law," and a "marshall" is anyone with an AK47 or ten who is willing to rise up against tyranny and save Trump, who has always, always acted within constitutional bounds.

There's so much more stupid cray going on there, but just this small bit makes me so tired.